Food-container.



E.E.HENDERSON.

FOOD CONTAINER. APPLICATION FILED AUGS, 19:4.

Patented July 6, 1915.

v wwmmmlr wzaj 8M E E HENDERSON furnish sweetened. Aside from the transmission of disease germs, the latter practice,

. tastes and manners,

are.

EMMA E. HENDERSON, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

FOOD-CONTAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Application filed August 5, 1814. Serial No. 855,250.

To all whom it'mag concern:

Be it known that I, EMMA E. IIENDER- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at enver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F ood-Containers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

his invention relates generally to sani tary food receptacles, and particularly to an article of this character designed as a container for sugar and crackers.

In nearly all lunch rooms, restaurants, and other places where food is served to the public, it .is an. almost universal practice to sugar in ordinary bowls usually provided with a cover, but as frequently happens, either from carelessness of the attendants or the lack of a cover, the sugar is left exposed and thus free to be contaminated by floating particles of dust and the deposition of disease germs carried by flies or other insects that are naturally attracted to the sweetener. The same is true of the I so called oyster crackers, as these are generally placed upon the table in uncovered plates or other containers. Aside from the dangers attending the free exposure of sugar above referred to, another and equally strong objectionattaches to the practice, namely, the possible contamination of the sugar from a spoon that is dipped into the bowl afterv having been inserted in the mouth of the user to ascertain whether or not the article to be consumed is. sufliciently danger of the which is common to many persons. is highly obnoxious to people of refined and is the cause of many complaints to the proprietors of public places of refreshment. The objection to the free exposure of oyster crackers is that they are liable to the direct touch of the hands of the consumers, few persons realizing or caring for the danger to others resulting from such handling.

It is the object of the present invention, in a ready, simple and practical manner to protect sugar and crackers against contaminating influences, but at the same: time to permit of their being readily distributedas required.

.A further object isto render it practically impossible for anyone but the person desiring to use the sugar or crackers to handle the same.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists, generally stated, in a food container comprising a glass jar or holder having its upper end closed by a screw cap, and its lower end provided with a restricted neck that is designed to engage with a collar carried by a base supported by suitable legs. Threaded into or secured to the under side of the base but spaced therefrom is a plate provided at its center with a flared discharge mouth, and in the space provided is pivotally mounted a two-part cut-off which normally prevents escape of the material from the receptacle. Each member of the cut-off isprovided with an outwardly ex tending finger hold and between the two finger-holds and seated at its ends therein is a coiled spring, the function of which is to keep the members of the cut-off normally in closed position, whereby escape of the contents of the receptacle, or entrance of flies or dust thereto will be prevented. The discharge mouth is spaced a suflicient distance above the support upon which the receptacle rests to permit placing under the latter individual. dishes or holders to re ceive sugar or crackers, it being designed that each patron shall serve himself, and by the arrangement of the cut-off, as above set forth, there, will be no possibility of waste of either the sugar or crackers.

Further and more specific details of construction will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. f

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, of a receptacle embodying the features of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 22 Fig. 1

The support. for the structure comprises a base or head plate 1, which, as shown in Fig. 2, is of circular form and is provided with an upstanding concentrically arranged collar 2 which is internally threaded. The head plate is supported upon legs 3, of which anydesired number may be employed, and on the interior of the base plate, adjacent to its juncturewith the legs, the former is provided with interior threads j threaded connection shown,

ous that if preferred that are designed to be engaged by the threaded periphery of a bottom or throat plate 4 which is provided with a downward flaring mouth 5 that registers with the opening in the baseplate.

The plates 1. and a are held permanently spaced apart by this manner of connection, and in the space thus provided is arranged a two-part cutoff, the members 6 and 7 of which are connected by a rule joint 8 through which passes a pivot pin 9 that extends through the plates 1 and 4: and has its ends u set. Each of the cut-oftmembersb and 7 is provided with a finger-hold 9' that projects beyond the plate 1 and carries a hollow boss 10, and in these two bosses are ends of a coiled spring 11, the functlon of which is to hold the cut-offs normally in closed position, so that escape of the material through the mouth 5 is precluded. In order to adapt the cut-offs for forcing their way through a column of escaping sugar, the under'face of each is provided with a semi-circular bevel 12, these two bevels forming in elfect knives for the purpose stated.

The threads of the collar 2 are engaged by threads upon a restricted neck 13 constituting the bottom of a receptacle 14,which is preferably constructed of glass, and has its upper end formed with threads to be engaged by a threaded cap 15. By reason of the threaded connection between the receptacle and the collar 2, the former may read ily be detached from the base for the purpose of cleaning, and when assembled with the base may readily be refilled by removing the cap 15. l 1

While it will generally be preferred to connect the receptacle and base by the it will'beobvithe interior of the collar 2 and exterior of the neck 13 may be smooth and the parts held together by suitable cement or any other means may be employed, to hold the parts securely assembled. This is also true of the union of the plate 4: and the base. y f

The legs 3 are to'be of such height as to provide a space between the lower face of the mouth 5 and the support upon which the structure rests, to permit insertion beneath the plate 4: of a series of nested individual dishes or receptacles 16in which it isdesigned that the sugar or. crackers shall be received, and by this arrangement it will be seen that only the person who is to usethe article contained touch the article to be used. It'is further to be noted that t e cut-off members 6 and 7 are housed within the downwardly extending peripheral flange of the head 1 and between the head 1 and the throat plate 4:. Thus these members are kept as much as possible from contamination by contact with 7 lower within the receptacle will the fingers of the user and from contamination by flies or other insects, the downwardly projecting contracted mouth 5 tending to prevent insects finding their way to the faces of the plates 6 an members 6 and 7 are opened outto the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the plates are entirely housed and when the members are closed, only a relatively small portion of the members is exposed. These plates fit closely against the under face of the head 1 and are never out of contact with the head 1 and are never exposed to the open air where those faces come in contact with the sugar and cannot contaminate it.

From the foregoing description it willbe seen that although the improvements herein set forth are exceedingly simple in construction, they will be thoroughly efficient for the purposes designed, and will. coact in the presentation of an efficient, durable and thoroughly practical form of foodcontainer.

I claim: I I

'1. A dispensing receptacle comprising a container having a discharge opening in its lower end, a base supporting the container and having an opening through which the container discharges, said base having an annular downwardly extending larger in diameter than said opening and having supporting members depending from the flange, a pair of coacting cut-off members disposed immediately below and having their upper faces in contact with the under face of the base and pivoted thereto, means normally holding the cut-off members closed; means for oscillating the cut-ofl" members to permit the discharge of material from said container.

2. A dispensing receptacle comprising a container open at its lower end, a base having a central opening and s'uppiortingthe container, the container discharging through said central opening, said base having aperipheral circular wall, a plate having a central opening, the opening being surrounded by a downwardly and centrally inclined Wall forming a discharge mouth, said plate engaging within the peripheral flange of the base, and spaced from the lower face of the base, a pair of cut-off members pivoted to the base and disposed between said plate and the lower face of the base, a spring normally holding the cutofl's closed, across the discharge opening 'of'the base, and manually operable means for opening said cut-ofis.

.3. An article of the class described comprising a base provided with legs and with an upstanding threaded collar, a receptacle d7. Whenthe or holder having threaded engagement with I the collar and provided at its upper end with a removable closure, a plate secured beneath the base and spaced therefrom and provided with a discharge mouth, and spring pressed cut-offs disposed in the space between the base and the plate and entirely housed by said base.

4. An article of the class described comprising a base provided with legs and with an upstanding internally threaded collar, a receptacle having a constricted neck threaded into the collar and provided at its upper end with a closure, a plate threaded into the base but spaced therefrom and provided with a discharge mouth, a pair of cut-offs pivoted in the space between the base and the plate and provided with finger-holds, in? a spring interposed between the finger- 5. An article of the class described comprising a base provided with legs and with an upstanding internally threaded collar, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the receptacle having a constricted neck threaded into the collar and provided at its upper end with a closure, a plate threaded into the base but spaced therefrom and provided with a discharge mouth, a pair of cut-ofi's pivoted in the space between the base and the plate and provided with finger-holds, and a spring interposed between the finger-holds, the opposed edges of the cut-offs being circumferentially beveled to provide cutting edges.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EMMA E. HENDERSON.

Witnesses:

JOEL HENDERSON, DORA V. SNYDER.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

